Drying machine



2 Sheets-Sheet 1 INVENTOR 7710110019 fllisrp HanyliWz'yylasworZh,

B @MQ Wren/5Y5 T. ALLSOP ET AL DRYING MACHINE Filed May 28. 1924 IZTlZ 7: Z

WITNES .6 2

Feb. 28, 1928.

Feb. 2 1928. 1,660,312

T. ALLSOP ET AL DRYING MACHINE Filed May,- 28. 1924 2 Sheets-Sheet. 2

Patented 28- v 1,660,312?

UNITED THOMAS ALLSOP AND HAQRY WIGGLEQIVORTH, PHILADELPHIA, PENK SYL- I VANIA, ASSIGNORS TOTHE PI-IILAD ELPHIA DRYING- -MAC1-II I\TERY COMPANY, OF

PHILADELPHIA, PENNSYLVANIA, A CORPORATION OF PENNSYLVANIA.

DRYING MACHINE.

Application filed May as, 1924. s riai mrieaal This invention relates to drying machines by a partition 10 to provide a drying charm. for hosiery and the like, and it has more ber ll and a compartment. 12 conventionally particular reference to that type of machine l'lousing a nest of radiator coils 13, to which in which rows of forms are progressed heating medium is supplied by a connecthrough a drying enclosure and exposed reltion lee-and circulated in accordance with ative thereto for stripping and reclothing. well known practice. The partition An object of this invention is to provide fitted with a housing 15 for a vertically rod an exceptionally compact machine of the tatable fan 16, the shaft 17 whereof,- is iour- 6o typified character which is automatic in acnaled in bearings 18, and adapted to be 10 tion and eflicient in operation. driven by abelt drive 19, from any conven- Other objects have reference to a novel icnt source of power; and said partition is" arrangement of repressing rollers functional, also provided at its upper part with an to remove any creases remaining in the artis opening 20 through which the drying me- 65 cles dried as they leave the drying enclosure dium circulatesias indicated by the arrows 15 for stripping? and an automatically actun Fig. II. In order to ensure even distriated closure at the boardingstationwherebution of the drying medium throughout b undue -a of the drying medium is the chamber 11, we employ a transverse slat; prevented ting 21, of ap tiropriatepinaterial, that is 70 With the foregoing and other objects in closely juxtaposed above the highest eleva 20 view, as will be apparent from the following i n of the hosiery forms 22, "as will .be

description, this invention consists in certain Clearly appreciated by an' examination of novel features of construction,combinations Fig, IV, more particularly. In addition to and arrangements of partsherein'after fully the slatting .21, a vertical apron 23' is fitted (5 set forth, and more specifically defined by at the, rear of the machine in spaced relathe subjoined claims. V tron to the egress opening 24:, to preventum In the further disclosure of the invendue escape'of the drying medium and moisttion reference is made to' the' accompanying atmosphere thereat. I y sheets of drawings, constituting apart of The hosiery forms 22 which are. attached so this specification, and in which correspondby clamps 25 to carrier rails 26, in according parts are distinguished by the same inance with known practice in the art,.it is to dicesthroughout the several views. be particularly remarked, are in accordance Fig. I, is a horizontal section of a hosiery with this invention fitted with small antidrying machine conventionally embodying friction rollers 27 which are adapted to 5} this invention, and taken approximatelyon traverse co-planar tracks 28, of appropriate. the plane indicated by the arrows II in cross-section provided for the purpose near Fig. II. p v the bottom of t-he drying chamber 11.

Fig. II, is a front elevation of the ma In addition thereto we provide, at bothhi ends of each carrier rail 26,.a laterally di- Fig. III, is a vertical section taken subrected stud or pin 29, respectively afforded 4e stantially on the line IIIIII in Fig. II. guidance in a substantially rectangiiar race- Fig. IV, is a vertical section taken apway orslot 30, in the aforesaid partition 10, proximately on the plane indicated by the and an inner end wall 31-F1g. I in closely arrows IV-IV in Fig. I; and, spaced relation to theremovablepanel 7. r y Fig. V, is afragmentary detail of a (710- Associated with the raceways or slots 30, v 45 sure hereinafter more fully'explained; are endless conveyor chains 32, trained about In the particular embodiment of the inidler sprockets 33, and intermittently rovention chosen for illustrating its charactertated chain wheels 34 fixed upon atransverse istics and mode of operation, it will be obshaft 35, journaled in the machine subloo served the same comprises an enclosure coniframework. This shaft 35 is rotated by anj 5e prehensively designated by the numeral 6,v intermittent bevel couplev 36, in turn drivenand having removable thermo-insulated panby a worm-reduction 37, anda belt drive els 7, 8, 9. This enclosure 6 is'subdivided 38, from anyconvenient source of power.

Elevation and spaced progression of successive carrier rails 26 up and down the vertical, as-wellas along the top, portions of the raceway or slot 30is accomplished through the medium of laterally lugged links 39placed at intervals in the conveyor chains 32,in the manner hereinafter fully explained; and, as will be readily appreciated by those conversant with the art to which this invention appertains. However,-

it is to be remarked that the lugged links 39 project laterally ateach side of the con veyor chains 82. On the other hand, progression of the successive carrier rails 26, in abutting relation, over the co-planar tracks 28-a distance conforming with the width of said carrier railsis effected by means of hooked draw rods supported in guides 41, and coupled by connecting rods 4:2, to.

rock arms 43, fulcrumed at 44, and adapted )for oscillationby the outer portions of the lug-Jinks 39 in opposition to contractile springs 45. j

Referring againto the drying chamber 11, the same is provided with a semi-curved roof 46, andan automatically opened flexible door 47 that affords entry for each successive carrier rail26 of clothed forms 22.

This door 47, as best shown by Fig. V, is

fabricated from articulated sheet material strips l8, with the ends afforded guidance in channel section runners 49. The mech anism effective to raise the door l7, comprises opposed lever-arms 50, fulcrumed at 51, and having their free ends 52 disposed in the path of successively descending lug links 39 aforesaid. These lever-arms 50, are operatively connected by rods or links 53 to compound leverages 54, 55 fulcrumed at 56, and in turn hingedly connected to the flexible door 47 by lugs 57.

Having detailed the various structural features embodied in our novel drying machine. and their respective coordination, it will be readily apparent thatwhen rotary motion is imparted to the worm-reduction 37, the endless conveyor chains 32 will he intermittently progressed through the medium of the bevel couple 36. Now, let it he assumed that said chains 32 are directionally 1: rogressed-as indicated by the arrows thereon in Figs. III and IV-and that an operative is stationed at the front of the machine to clothe the forms 22, with another at the rear thereof to strip said forms, the succession of operative movements may be briefly sul'nmarized as follows :--lVhen the temporarily halted carrier rail 26 at the front of the machine has had the-row of forms 22 thereon clothed with wet hosiery, it will be readily seen that the neXt progressive movement of the endless conveyor chains 32 will advance the lagged-links onto the free ends 52 of the lever arms 50, and move the same, together with transfeifof said rail downwardly along the inwardly inclined portions of the raceways or slots 30 from the fulleline position shown in Fig. Ill, to

that indicated by dotted-lines in Fig. 1V, and place'the moved carrier rail 26 on the coplanar tracks 28. At this j1111Ctt11G,it is to be particularly noted that downward oscillation ofthe lever-arms ,oOjactuates the compound leverages 54, '55, and elevates or opens the flexible door lflthroughthe instrumentalities hereinbeforeset forth. Coincident with the arrival of the carrier rail 26 at the bottom of the inwardly inclined] portions ofthe slots 30 on to the tracks 28,

the studs 29will be disengaged from the free ends 52 of the lever armsI5O-as clearly indicated in Fig. IVand at the same moment the outwardly projecting portions of simultaneously progressed lug links 39 contact with the rocker arms l and through the rods 42 and hook-ended draw-rods 40, ad-

vance the just referred to series of forms 22' into the drying chamber 11, concurrently with the movement of a rail 26 into position for elevation and stripping. Incidentally, it is noteworthy that the flexible door 47 is designed and proportioned to gravitate back to closed position, whereas the draw-rods 40 are retracted by the contractile springs 45, as will be clearly understood without further explanation. V

The next progressive movement of the endless conveyor chains 32,'will, through the medium of the lug links 39previously disen gaged from the rocker arms 43, engage below the studs 29 of the carrlerrail 26 at the V extreme back of the enclosure 6, and elevate the same to the position indicated at the upper right hand corner of Fig. IV, and con currently therewith the previously elevated carrier rail 26 will be transferred to the position shown by the dotand-dashlines at the 7 left hand of said figure. During the elevation of the carrier rail 26 just referred to it will be apparent that forms 22- thereon will pass between the re-press rollers 58, 58 in opposition to the contractile springs 61, whereby the dried hosiery thereon will receive a finishing roll, serving to smooth out and eliminate any chance creases or the like not re moved by the drying action during progress through the chamber 11'. As the c'arrier rail 26 emerges above the re-pre'ss rolls 58, 58, the studs 29 thereon are engaged by the relatively larger curved free end 62 of the outer bearing lever 59, with the result that the forms 22 thereon are automatically thrown into the dotted-linedownwardly inclined-p0: sitionfor stripping by thefouter rollers 27 riding over and tripping free of the sharper curved free ends 62, of the inner bearing levers 59 under the retractile action of the springs 61, as will be readily understood by an examination of Fig. IV more particularly. It will, of course, be appreciated that the progressive movements of the endless chain conveyors 32, are co-ordinated to ear sure positive positoning of the carrier rails 26 to effect the operations above set forth.

After the forms 22 have been stripped the following progresive movement of the endless chain conveyors 32, will advance the carrier rail 26 over the top of the chamber 11, and downwardly with respectto the front thereof, into the position shown best in Figs. II and III, where said forms are reclothed with fresh wet articles to be dried, the laterally projecting flanges 63, 63 hereinbefore referred to serving to guide the carrier rails 26 with precisionas will be readily apparent without further description or explanation.

From the foregoing it is thought that the successive progressive motions aggrouped in our novel drying machine will be fully understood, while the inherent advantages pertaining thereto are so obvious as not to necessitate specific enumeration. Furthermore it isto be clearly understood that we hereby reserve the right to make such necessarychanges' in the form, proportions, and

minor details of construction as may be properly encompassed by the scope of the sub oined claims. For example, the repressing rollers 58, 58, may be disconnected whereupon the machine will continue to function as a dryer with equal efficiency; but we do desire, in conclusion, to 133111.011-

larly emphasize the compact character of our machine, whereby greatly increased economy 1n production, maintenance, and operation result.

Having thus described our invention, we

claim: V

l. A drying machine comprising an enclosure, a series of form carriers, means for boosting the carriers through the enclosure in close relationship, means whereby con-v secutive carriers are vertically elevated to exposedly eject and downwardly-incline the forms for strippage, subsequently upwardly-swung and progressed to reclothing loca tion, and thereafter'vertically lowered and advanced; into and through the drying enclosure; and means cooperative with the aforesaid carrlers to effect the downward and'upward'.inclinatibn of the forms while exterior-of the drying enclosure.

2. A drying machine con'iprising an enclosure, a series of form carriers, means for ly progressed to reclothing location, and

thereafter lowered and advanced into the drying enclosure; means cooperative with the aforesaid carriers to decline the forms during ejection from thedrying enclosure,

and a flexible door for the enclosure adapted to be automatically opened to permit'entry of the re-clothed forms. I v r v 3. A drying machine comprising an enclosure, a series of fornr carryingrails, means for boosting the rails through the enclosure in close relationship, and cooperative means whereby consecutive rails are ele vated and rocked t0 exteriorly eject and decline the forms for strippage, subsequently progressed to reclothing location, and thereafter lowered and boosted into the drying enclosure. I

e; A drying machine comprising an enclosure, a series ofrails carrying aligned forms,

Isa

means for boosting said rails through the enclosure in close relationship, coplanar tracks along which the rails are progressed,

endless conveyors whereby consecutive carriers are elevated to e]ect the forms for strippage, subsequently progressedto reclothing location, and thereafter lowered and advanced into the drying enclosure, and meansfunctional to swing each form car rier downward concurrent with its arrival at ejected location.

5. A drying machine comprising an enclosure, aseries of form carriers, substantially rectangular raceways over which the form carriers are progressed, means whereby said mittent progression therethrough, spring in fiuenced members cooperative with said form carriers to automatically decline the forms for strippage. V

,7. In a drying machine including an enclosure and a series of form carriers for intermittent progression therethrough, spring influenced levers having curved ends functional to rock the form carriers and decline the forms for strippage.

8. In a drying machine including an enclosure and a series of form'carriers for interrmttent progression therethrough, spring lnfluenced levers supporting freely rotatable frollers through which the forms and carriers pass, said levers having relatively curved free ends adapted to rock the form carriers and exteriorly decline the forms into position for strippage.

9. In itdrying machine including" an enclosure and a series of form carriers for progression therethrough," the combination of gravitydall flexible door for said enclosnre,- compound leverages hingedly connected to said door, and fulcruined lever arms adapted to rock said compound levercarrier to enclosure-lentoring position.

In testimony whereof, We have herennto signed our names at Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, this 23rd day of May, 1924. THOMAS ALLSOP;

HARRY H. WIGGLESWORTH' 

